UITBB statement on World Refugee Day – June 20, 2023
On the occasion of the International Day for Immigrants and Refugees today, June 20, the Trades Union International of Workers of the Building, Wood and Building Materials Industries (UITBB), voices its undying solidarity for the millions of displaced individuals and families around the world. Today, we extend our unwavering support to those who have been forced to flee their homes due to war, persecution, and economic hardships perpetuated by the exploitative nature of capitalism and imperialist interventions.
We understand that the root causes of the refugee crisis are deeply intertwined with the inherent contradictions and injustices of the capitalist system. The greed of a few elites, enabled by a global economic system that prioritizes profit over human dignity, perpetuates the cycle of poverty and inequality, leaving countless people with no choice but to seek refuge elsewhere.
The recent tragedy off the shores of Greece, where hundreds of immigrants and refugees lost their lives in a desperate attempt to reach Europe, serves as a stark reminder of the grave consequences of this unjust system. Those circles which now express their so-called grief and cry over dead bodies, are the same circles which exploit these people. They are the same circles which create the circumstances that make those poor people leave their countries. No father and no mother want to take their children and travel on rotten boats, risking their lives. They are forced to do so by the same people who now cry for them.
These same circles are the ones which cultivate fascism and, when refugees and immigrant workers do arrive somewhere, they divide the workers and pit them against each other.
UITBB reminds everyone that the working class is one and undivided. We stand shoulder to shoulder with all the refugees and all the immigrant workers and we, as a class-oriented, international trade union movement, will always defend their right to a better life.
Let us work together, through collective action, to build a world where no one is forced to flee their homes, where all workers are united in their struggle for justice, and where refugees are welcomed with open arms.
The UITBB Secretariat